YOUR VIEW: Letters to the Editor

The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters and comments from readers. Below you can read the letters and texts we have published in the newspaper today.TODAY'S LETTERS:

Wonderful care while at our city hospital

I have heard so many negative things reported about the Tauranga Hospital recently that I felt I must write a letter about my recent stay in there.
From the first checkup appointment through to the post-operation check, then the operation itself, ICU care, surgeon, doctors and nursing staff could not be faulted. I received wonderful care and attention and sincerely thank all those involved.
JEAN BANYARD Bethlehem

MP disappoints It was surprising to see in the Bay of Plenty Times (News, Nov 20) a photo of our local MP opening a new business for manufacturing "cocktails in a bottle".Not so long ago he was advocating that there should be fewer opportunities for our young people to buy alcoholic drinks.Now he is promoting more bottled drinks for our teenagers. It is obvious that for him a photo opportunity is more important than principles.
Soon our only hope will be to change our national anthem to: God, Please Save New Zealand.
(Abridged)
FERD LEENEN Mount Maunganui

Driver mentality poor Re Your View, Nov 22.
It just goes to show the mentality of some of our local and national drivers out there. It's very obvious, cyclists are paying ... paying with their lives. I (cyclist) have four vehicles in total and pay a heap of vehicle taxes and road levies every year.

This aside, the past five cyclists killed on our roads were killed because of vehicles out of control, crossing the centreline, opening car doors or running over cyclists from behind ... or was it because we didn't pay to be on public roads therefore run down and killed?
As a matter of fact, we (cyclists) have to ride defensively and know the road code just to survive out there. Things need to change. Let's incorporate the European road code to ours. "If a motorist hits a cyclist then the motorist is at fault regardless how the accident happens" There, that will fix it! Grow up guys. I dare you to ride to work and back for one day with me and see how it feels to be targeted by an intellectually deprived stressed out driver hiding behind a fully enclosed steel safety cage trying to play 10 pin with us cyclists who ride to the road code and pay roading levies too.
Share the roads. We are all public people paying to be on public funded roads.
(ABRIDGED)
JON HUME Mount Maunganui

Cyclists have cars too Re: Funding for roads (Your View, Nov 22).
Looking at the age of the cyclists who have been killed on our roads in the past couple of weeks it seems glaringly obvious that they had in fact contributed to the cost of roading through vehicle tax.
This is probably the case with the majority of cyclists.
They own a car, pay their taxes and are entitled to use the roads just like everyone else.
So suggesting that cyclists pay again for the privilege seems a little like double dipping, don't you think?
JO DEY Pillans Point

Council to blameThe downturn in popularity of the Central Business District can be attributed directly to the Tauranga City Council.
In an effort to revive its popularity a few admirable retailers are attempting to reverse the trend, doing things that retailers can do (remember - it's retailers who attract people - not council) to attract more customers.
At the same time the council are reducing their "charges" - ie, parking.
Unfortunately, the retailers' efforts - admirable as they may be - will be futile.
Why? Because should their efforts manage to lure shoppers to the area, council will take this as encouragement that what council have done is working, and claim it as a success, making council believe they have fixed the problem, (which would not be there if not for them) and encouraging them to continue their meddling and interference, which in turn will ensure that the CBD continues to fail.
There is only one solution, but like a bull terrier with its teeth sunk into the flesh of its victim, the council will never release their grip on the CBD cash cow till they hear the death-rattle of the last retailers gasping for survival, begging for any help, which the do-gooders (council) will dispense (at ratepayers' expense) and be hailed as saviours of the day, and alas inadvertently perpetuating the self-destructing cycle.
GRAHAM CLARK Lower KaimaiTODAY'S TEXTS:* Hard enough to make a dollar and then u have to spend money on vandalism no respect* Re: frank unjust im a cyclist i drive car pay road tax al you hav to do in car is b aware? Is dat to much to ask.* Make cyclists pay. :letter' peter huxham and frank just, you would be a great example of a motorist who has a bad attatude against cyclists.* Com on cyclists.get real.th rule is in single file.if u want 2 race do it like otha people.on a track.thk about this.60 % of people use th roads 2 make a living.get real* Re. Fed.farm. No dodgy imports allowed statement rather hypocritical given their disgraceful record re palm kernels* Re-public art urged- yes more sculpture would b gr8 in our city BY LOCAL ARTISTS!* Three cheers for tcc cleaning up sea lettuce from mt beach. Well done!* Braunias nailed it. Ghost-town moaners! Should change our name to Whingerton.* Girls referd 2 youth aid .Wgt a bldy joke thy do nothin.Smack on the hand.Justice system so bad.Ths country gt no idea.Get hard on the lowlife of tga i say.When writing to us, please note the following:- Letters should not exceed 200 words
- If possible, please email or use the 'Have your Say' option on the website
- No noms-de-plume
- Please include your address and phone number (for our records only)
- Letters may be abridged, edited or refused at the editor's discretion
- The editor's decision to publish is final. Rejected letters are usually not acknowledgedEmail: editor@bayofplentytimes.co.nzText: 021 439 968
Fax: 07 571 8878
Postal address:
The Editor
Bayof Plenty Times
Private Bag 12002